Combination shelter outfit.



G. .W. GAIL, JR.

COMBINATION SHELTER OUTFIT. APPLICATION'FILED AUG-28. 1915.

1 215,139. Patented Feb.6,1917. 9 l5 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- A TTOR/VEYS mr Mmms PEfEnS co.. Mum-Lima. WASK'NG row. a c.

G. W. GAIL, JR. COMBINATION SHELTER OUTFIT, APPLICATION FILED AUG.28. 1915.

' Patented Feb. 6,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ATTORNEYS GEORGE WILLIAM GAIL, JR, or BALTI'MQRE, ivm'nrtann.

consiiierioii snnnrrln man;

remiss;

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE Ga n, Jim,

a citizen of the United States, and a'resident.

of the city of Baltimore, in the Stateof Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Combination Shelter Outfit, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a shelter outfit for outdoor use in camping, sleeping outdoors,

etc. The prime object of the invention 1s to provide an outfit of a sheet material having features and appurtenances whereby to convert the article into a sleeping bag, a tent or lean-to, or into a poncho; and so formed as tobe folded into small compass when not in use.

ther objects as well as the striking novel features and advantages will appear in the specific description following.

Reference is to be had to the accompany.- ing drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding'parts in all the views.

Figure l is a front view of the article arranged as a poncho, showing the same in use;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryyview similar to Fig. 1 with the collar of the poncho raisedand fastened;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the outfit arranged as a sleeping bag;

Fig. 4: is a perspective view showing the outfit arranged as a lean-to;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing two of the outfits connected and employed as a tent, it being understood that one of the outfits can be similarly used;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale on the line 66 of Fig. .3;

Fig. 7. is a plan view of the article in' adjacent to the outer edge of the said mem- 7 ber 10 and adjacent to thefbottomedge or foot of the article. Similarly the side memsiiiadiaaon of Lettrsrateiit.

ratentearet. a, 1911?.

Application filedA'ug'ustfiS, i915. SeriaINo. 47,734;

ber 11 has aiseries of mating fastener elements'1'3, substantially L form, extending along the outer side edge and along the bottom edge of the said member 11. The purpose of the coacting fastener elements 12,13 is to secure the respective side and bottom edges of the members 10 arid 11' when the member 10 is folded overv onto the member 11 to constitute the top of the sleeping bag with the member 11 forming the bottom of the sleeping bag, as shown in Fig. 8. The side members are adapted to fold along the median line 16 and these side members may be, and preferably are, formed separat'ely and united along the said median line.

It is to be noted that the fastener elements 13 are nearer to the edges of the said member 11 than are the mating fastener elements 12. Hence, in order to bring the respective fastener elements into alinement, the edges carrying the elements 13 are adapted to be turned over approximately on the line at m and 3 3 For the convenient turning of the edges, the stitching alongline 1.6 is omitted between the extreme foot of bag and the line y 3 and if desired, a notch 22, may be produced in the member 11 at the juncture of the side and' bottom edges. When the edges with the elements 13 are turned over, the elements 13 will be disposed at the underside of the turned over portions and be inposition to beengaged with the members 12. The described mode of fastening pre- 1 it extends beyond the head of the member 10,

forming an extension thereof, and also eX- tends laterally beyond the member 10 at the sides as at 17*. At the front edge of the member 17 near the center a gromet 19 or equivalent, is provided to receive a prop B as indicated in Fig. 3. I provide in connection with the member 17 means to stake the ends thereof at the front corners, for which purpose, loops 18 are shown which may be of cord, these being inthe exampleshown, secured to gromets 18*. Similarly at the inner or rear corners of the member 17 similar loops 18" are provided, engaging gromets 18.

I provide a D-ring 14 or its equivalent so disposed as to be positioned at a corner of the sleeping bag and be staked as at A Fig. 3. Said ring 14. may be secured in any suitable manner as by a tab 15. 011 the opposite corner of the sleeping bag, at the foot, a similar staking ring 14 and tab may be provided if desired.

To secure a blanket at the interior of the bag, at the foot thereof, rings 1 1 and tabs l5 may be provided on the member 11.

With the described arrangement the sleep- .ing bag is produced by folding over the member 10 onto the member 11 and fastening the said members through the medium of the fastener elements 12, 18. Stakes A are driven through the loops 18, 18 and any convenient prop B is engaged with the gromet 19, all of which will be clear from Fig. 3. If desired, a mosquito netting 17 may be placed over the head opening of the bag and around the edges of head flap, to prevent entrance of mosquitoes or other insects beneath the flap 17. To attach the netting 17", a tape 17 is secured at one of its edges, to the flap 17 and its extensions 17, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7.

When the article is converted into a poncho, as in Figs. 1 and 2, the flap 17 may be folded and tied as indicated in Fig. 8 in which figure it will be seen that the ends 17 of the flap are folded onto the central portion and then the flap is bodily folded onto the member 10. To tie the flap, tie strings 20 are provided at each side of the center of the flap 17 at the front edge thereof,'and mating tie strings 20 are provided on the member 10 in position to be tied to the strings 20 as shown in Fig. 8. Similarly tie strings 20 presenting two free ends, are applied to the member 10 at the approximate center thereof in position for one string or string end to be passed through the gromet 19. In this way the flap is inconspicuous and affords no inconvenience in wearing the article as a poncho.

The poncho feature of the outfit includes a longitudinal slit 23 on or adjacent to the folding line 16 of the sheet and arranged lengthwise parallel with said median line. At the slit 23 is a collar 21 so that when the slit is expanded it constitutes an opening, through which the head of the wearer may protrude in dropping the poncho onto the shoulders. The collar will be disposed on the outside of the'poncho. In Fig. 1, I have shown the collar folded down and in Fig. 2, turned up. A strap 25 is secured at a point intermediate its end to the collar 24 about half way up the latter and is adapted to be drawn tight around the collar as in Fig. 2 and secured by a buckle 26.

It is to be understood that the buckle 26,

as well as the fastener elements 12 and 13, may be of any approved form, the forms of these elements as illustrated, being common.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated the outfit in spread form and disposed as a lean-to. In this form the elements 13 along the side edge of the member 11 may be engaged over a cord or rope as indicated at C. It will be obvious that instead of hooking the elements 13 onto the rope C, thespread sheet may be thrown over the said rope or over an equivalent ridge pole at the median line 16 to form a small shelter tent. In Fig. 5 I have shown a tent composed of two of the outfits for which purpose the elements 13 along the side edge of one spread sheet are engaged with the coacting elements 12 along the side edge of the other spread sheet as clearly shown in Fig. 5. In this form the tent is thrown over the rope C or a ridge pole and the ends staked by means of tie cords D engaged with the elements 12, 13 at the edges and with stakes E. It is to be understood that the lean-to arrangement in Fig. 4, may have its lower edge staked in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 5.

When the article is not in use the flap 1? may be folded as shown in Fig. 8, the member 10 folded down to the member 11 or viceversa and the whole then folded in Various directions in small compass for its convenient carrying. 1

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A convertible outfit, including a sheet of material, comprising two side members and presenting a median folding line to fold one side onto the other, or to unfold the sheet into spread form, fastening means to detachably secure the side members to each other near the outer side edges and transversely'along the foot, and a transverse flap secured at its rear edge to one of the said side members, at the head of the latter, and the said flap extending forwardly beyond the said side members and extending at its ends laterally beyond the side member to which'it is secured, the other side member being free from the overlapping end of said flap and being adapted to fold or unfold independently of the said flap.

2. A convertible outfit, including a sheet of material, comprising two side members and presenting a median. folding line to fold one side onto the other, or to unfold the sheet into spread form, fastening means to detachably secure the side members to each other near the outer'side edges and trans versely along the foot, a transverse flap secured at its rear edge to one of the said side members, at the head ofthe latter, and the said flap extending forwardlyibeyond the said side members and extending at its ends laterally beyond the side member to which it is secured, the other side member being adapted to fold or unfold independently of the said flap, means to separately stake the side members when unfolded, and means to stake the said flap independently of the said side members.

3. A convertible outfit, including a sheet of material, comprising two side members and presenting a median folding line to fold one onto the other, or to unfold the sheet into spread form, fastening means to detachably secure the side members to each other near the outer side edges and transversely along the foot, a transverse flap secured at its rear edge to one of the said side members, at the head of the latter, the said flap extending forwardly beyond the said side members and extending at its ends laterally beyond the side member to which it is secured, the other side member being adapted to fold or unfold independently of the said flap, and there being a longitudinal slit in the sheet adjacent to the median folding line and running substantially parallel therewith to form an opening for the head of the wearer to convert the said sheet into a poncho.

4:. A convertible outfit, including a sheet of material, comprising two side members and presenting a median folding line to fold one onto the other, or to unfold the sheet into spread form, fastening means to detachably secure the side members to each other near the outer side edges and transversely along the foot, a transverse flap secured at its rear edge to one of the said side members, at the head of the latter, the said flap eX- tending forwardly beyond the lsaid sidef members and extending at its ends laterally beyond the side member to which it is secured, the other side member being adapted to fold or unfold independently of the said flap, there being a longitudinal slit in the sheet adjacent to the median folding line and running substantially parallel therewith to form an opening for the head of the wearer to convert the said sheet into a poncho, and a collar secured to the sheet along the sides of the slit and continuous at the ends of the slit, the said collar being foldable into flat form onto the sheet, with its sides in close relation, and covering the slit, when the sheet is in spread form.

5. A convertible outfit, including a sheet of material, comprising two side members and presenting a median folding line to fold one side onto the other, or to unfold the sheet into spread form, fastening means to detachably secure the side members to each other near the outer side edges and transversely along the foot, a transverse flap secured at its rear edge to one of the said side members, at the head of the latter, the said flap extending forwardly beyond the said side members and extending at its ends laterallybeyond the side member to which it is secured, the other side member being adapted to fold or unfold independently of the said flap, and there being tie strings on the flap at its front transverse edge and mating tie strings on the adjacent side member rearward of the flap, the ends of the flap being foldable onto the body thereof and the flap being foldable onto the said adjacent side member, the tie strings serving to secure the flap in said folded position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE WILLIAM GAIL,JR.

Witnesses:

MAX L. PINANSKY, MILDRED I. MAHONEY.

fiopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

